Resistant starches are long chains of glucose (starch) that are "resistant" to digestion in the upper part of your digestive system (14).

This means that they function in a similar way as fiber, and won't cause a rise in blood sugar levels.

However, they may help feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which has been linked to improved metabolic health and better blood sugar control (15, 16, 17, 18).

In fact, a recent study on blood sugar control in women with type 2 diabetes found some interesting results. Those supplementing with resistant starch had better blood sugar control than those who didn't over an 8-week period (19).

Other studies have found resistant starch to have beneficial effects in people with type 2 diabetes. These include improving insulin sensitivity and reducing inflammation (20, 21, 22, 23).